• The University of North Florida athletics department will have a slightly new — but familiar — look for the next five years. The school and Nike reached a five-year deal recently that will let the apparel supplier provide athletic gear including uniforms and shoes. It’s the first such deal in the school’s history.
• In his July newsletter, Police and Fire Pension Fund Executive Director/Administrator John Keane makes it very clear the City’s “pension crisis” is not solely the result of an underfunded Police and Fire Pension Fund. He also explains problems with the City’s general employee pension is also to blame.
• The reason the 18 River Birch trees had to be removed from Jesse Smith Park on Forsyth Street is they were 12 years old and that’s the life expectancy of that species in an urban setting according to Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Deputy Executive Director Paul Crawford, who is also a landscape architect. The City is currently exploring options for replanting, but the new installation may have to wait until later in the year when cooler temperatures will make the new trees more likely to survive the planting process.
• Speaking of the JEDC, Executive Director Ron Barton, at the request of City Chief Adminstrative Officer Alan Mosley, has issued a memorandum reminding City department heads that all Downtown projects — both vertical and horizontal in nature — must go through the Downtown Development Review Board for approval. The DDRB will examine everything from the river on the east to State Street on the north, to I-95 on the west and I-95 on the Southbank.
• The commercial real estate industry honored 14 commercial properties with The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) and Earth Award at the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International’s annual conference last week in Philadelphia. Judging was based on community impact, tenant/employee relations programs, energy management systems, accessibility for disabled people, emergency evacuation procedures, building personnel training programs and overall quality indicators. In the Corporate Facility category the winner was Citi Campus-Jacksonville. The building is managed by Grubb Ellis Management Services, Inc. and is owned by Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
• Urban gardening part II: Some of the hanging baskets on Downtown buildings may soon be replanted with Lantana varieties, which tolerate direct sunlight and high temperatures and bloom constantly. The project is part of DVI’s “Great Streets” initiative.
• PACE Center for Girls will mark its 25th anniversary next year and will host a two-day leadership conference Jan. 14-15 to mark the occasion. Debbie Wasserman Schultz will serve as honorary chair of the event.
• U.S. Green Building Council North Florida Chapter has four new board members: Adair Owen (elected for a second term), Wayne Dunn, Rob Riva and Kim Newhouse. They join current board members Mark Gelfo, Corie Baker, Rob Overly, Ellen Reed and Susan Cleveland to form the 2009-2010 board.
• By direction of City Council President Richard Clark legislation will be introduced to appoint Council members to the following boards: Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, John Crescimbeni; Downtown Vision, Inc., Art Shad; Election Canvassing and Joint Planning Commission, Jack Webb; Prosperity Scholarship Fund, Denise Lee; Value Adjustment Board, John Crescimbeni (chair), Johnny Gaffney and Reggie Brown; Zoological Society, Johnny Gaffney and Kevin Hyde (alternate).
• Speaking of Gaffney, he has replaced Kevin Hyde on the Council’s Land Use & Zoning Committee.
• Kurt M. Liebendorfer, senior vice president of Stellar, has been appointed to the International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) 20-member board of directors. IDEA promotes energy efficiency and environmental quality through the advancement of district heating, district cooling and cogeneration, or combined heat and power. He oversees Stellar’s Energy Systems, Refrigeration Services and Automation Services divisions, as well as its Jacksonville manufacturing facility. Liebendorfer is also actively involved with the company’s Dubai subsidiary, Stellar LLC.
• Children throughout Jacksonville may be enjoying summer camp, but adults working at City Hall can take part in “Ethics Summer Camp.” City Ethics Officer Carla Miller and Inspector General Pam Markham have developed 10-15 ethics programs that touch on key ethics issues and will be shown to all departmental ethics officers.